CMDB federation method and management system

ABSTRACT

This disclosure relates generally to the field of Configuration Management Databases (CMDBs). One embodiment of a user interface embodying the present invention is an extension of the process for creating CMDB classes and is therefore readily available for use by someone with knowledge of CMDB administration. The CMDB administrator is thus relieved from having to understand in detail the technologies and interfaces used by the Management Data Repository (MDR) sources. The result of setting up a relation from a CMDB data structure to an MDR data structure by a CMDB administrator may be represented by one or more new CMDB class(es) for the MDR data. The related MDR may then be accessed by an existing CMDB application using already existing CMDB interfaces. The instances of the new relationships and classes thus appear as if they were native instances stored in the CMDB.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to the provisional application Ser. No.61/144,683 filed on Jan. 14, 2009 entitled “A CMDB Federation Method andManagement System” by Govindarajan Rangarajan and Jiani Chen, which ishereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

This disclosure relates generally to the field of ITIL®-based(Information Technology Infrastructure Library) Configuration ManagementDatabases (CMDBs). (ITIL is a registered trademark of The LordsCommissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury acting through The Office ofGovernment Commerce and Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency,United Kingdom.) ITIL-based CMDBs are emerging as a prominent technologyfor Enterprise Management Software. In enterprise systems management,data about IT business entities such as servers and applications aregenerally spread across several repositories, known as Management DataRepositories (MDRs). This data is made available to softwareapplications through various standard and non-standard mechanisms suchas Structured Query Language (SQL) and/or other proprietary programminginterfaces.

The usefulness of these CMDBs is dependent on the quality, reliabilityand security of the data stored in them. A CMDB often contains dataabout managed resources known as Configuration Items (CIs). ITIL version3 defines a CI as: “Any Component that needs to be managed in order todeliver an IT Service. Information about each CI is recorded in aConfiguration Record within the Configuration Management System and ismaintained throughout its Lifecycle by Configuration Management. CIs areunder the control of Change Management. CIs typically include ITServices, hardware, software, buildings, people, and formaldocumentation such as Process documentation and [Service LevelAgreements].”

The CMDB serves as a point of integration between various IT managementprocesses (See FIG. 1). Data from multiple sources often needs to bemanaged directly or by reference in commercial CMDBs. Thus, there was aneed to create a standard for federating the data from various MDRsand/or CMDBs into a single view that appears seamless and integrated tothe end user. This standard, known as the CMDB Federation, or CMDBf,Standard was recently adopted by the Distributed Management Task Force(DMTF) as Document Number: DSP0252.

Some of the goals of CMDBf include: enabling a variety of data consumersto access a federation of management data through a standard accessinterface; enabling a variety of data providers to participate in afederation of management data through a standard provider interface; andproviding an approach for reconciling and combining differentinformation about the same resources.

Applications requiring access to distributed management data may utilizeone or both of the following methods:

-   a) Software programmers can write code for a particular application    to access each data source through the data sources' supported    interfaces and relate the data from different data sources    programmatically based on knowledge of the data structures in both    data sources.-   b) Application developers can use tools provided by generic data    integration products/solutions to relate the data from different    sources so that applications may access the data through a common    interface with two notable limitations: i) Applications which have    primarily used CMDB specific interfaces to access management data    cause programmers to write or re-write code to use the new interface    provided by the integration layer; and ii) The integration layer    developers are required to have technical knowledge about the CMDB    that many CMDB administrators lack.

What is needed is a method, system and mechanism allowing for dynamicretrieval of data from other MDRs, modeling them as related items andassociating them with the core data (e.g., CIs) in a CMDB. Thisdisclosure presents solutions to these and other related problems.

SUMMARY

One embodiment of a user interface embodying the present invention is anextension of the process for creating CMDB classes and is thereforereadily available for use by someone with knowledge of CMDBadministration. The CMDB administrator is thus relieved from having tounderstand in detail the technologies and interfaces used by the MDRsources. The result of setting up a relation from a CMDB data structureto an MDR data structure by a CMDB administrator may be represented byone or more new CMDB class(es) for the MDR data. The related MDR maythen be accessed by an existing CMDB application using already existingCMDB interfaces. The instances of the new relationships and classes thusappear as if they were native instances stored in the CMDB.

In an illustrative embodiment of the federation capabilities describedmore fully herein, the basic aspects include the following:

-   1.) Ability to register various repositories (e.g., MDRs) with the    CMDB. This may include the following steps: a) Specifying the    mechanism to retrieve such remote data (e.g., web services, JDBC,    etc.). b) Defining the class(es) to model federated information. For    example, a user may define a class called INCIDENT to model incident    information. c) Define associations with CIs in the CMDB. For    example, the user may associate the federated class INCIDENT to the    class COMPUTER SYSTEM in the CMDB.-   2.) An Application Programming Interface (API) and data model that    can be used to seamlessly query data from both the core CMDB and    other remote repositories.-   3.) A mechanism to display both core and related data in a User    Interface (UI) in a consistent fashion.

In one embodiment, a computer system comprising a programmable controldevice is programmed to perform a data federation method for a CMDB, themethod comprising: receiving information from a CMDB client, theinformation comprising: a selection of a federated data class, interfaceconnection information for one or more Management Data Repositories(MDRs) that contain information associated with the federated dataclass, wherein the interface connection information comprisesinformation that is used by the CMDB to connect to the one or more MDRs,and a selection of one or more join conditions, wherein the one or moreselected join conditions are used to relate the federated data class toone or more classes residing in the CMDB; sending a query to the one ormore MDRs based on at least a portion of the received information;receiving a query result set; and providing at least a portion of thequery result set to the CMDB client.

In yet another embodiment, the computer system is further programmed tocreate a federated data class and store attributes related to thecreated federated data class in a memory medium.

In yet another embodiment, the computer system is further programmed toreceive one or more attributes from the one or more MDRs, wherein theone or more selected join conditions involve one or more of the receivedattributes.

In yet another embodiment, the instructions for carrying out the abovedescribed methods are tangibly embodied on a computer useable memorymedium.

In yet another embodiment, a computer network is utilized to carry outthe above described methods.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a CMDB serving as a point of integration between various ITmanagement processes.

FIG. 2 shows, in block diagram form, the architecture of a CMDB capableof dynamically retrieving data from other MDRs and associating them withthe core CIs in the CMDB.

FIG. 3 shows, in block diagram form, an example of linking a CMDBinstance to data outside the central CMDB.

FIG. 4 shows, in class diagram form, the federation related classes,relationships and their interaction.

FIG. 5A shows a use case for Query By Path (QBP) federating remote MDRswith CMDB CIs.

FIG. 5B shows a use case for QBP federating remote MDRs with CMDB CIs.

FIG. 6 shows, in flowchart form, an example of a federated query inaccordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 shows an exemplary enterprise computing environment.

FIG. 8 shows, in block diagram form, an exemplary computer systemcomprised of a program control device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Methods and systems to provide a mechanism for dynamically retrievingdata from MDRs, modeling them as related items, and associating themwith core data in a CMDB are described herein. The user interface is anextension of the process for creating CMDB classes, and may be used bysomeone with knowledge of CMDB administration, with only cursoryknowledge of the technologies and interfaces used by the MDR sources.One result of setting up a relation from a CMDB data structure to an MDRdata structure by the administrator is a new CMDB class representing theMDR data. The related MDR data can then be accessed by an existing CMDBapplication using whatever CMDB interfaces it already uses, simply byquerying for instances of the new relationships and classes as if theywere native instances stored in the CMDB.

As mentioned above, the usefulness of CMDBs is dependent on the quality,reliability and security of the data stored in them. A CMDB oftencontains data about managed resources like computer systems andapplication software, process artifacts like incident and changerecords, and relationships among them. In FIG. 1, the CMDB 10 serves asa point of integration between various IT management processes (Elements12-22). Data from multiple sources often needs to be managed directly orby reference in commercial CMDBs. These IT management process mayinclude, for example, Change Management 12, Configuration Management 14,Incident Management 16, Availability Management 18, Capacity Management20, and any other number of Miscellaneous IT Processes 22 that anenterprise may find it useful to monitor.

FIG. 2 shows the architecture of a CMDB capable of dynamicallyretrieving data from other MDRs and associating them with core CIs inthe CMDB. Core data for the enterprise IT configuration management maybe stored in the Central CMDB 30. CMDB 30 may comprise a CMDB server 32,a CMDB Engine 34 for processing queries and retrieving data, a datastorage memory medium 33, as well as other related applications, such asa reconciliation engine (not shown) and a normalization engine (notshown). Related data, for example, data that is stored outside thecentral CMDB 30, could reside in MDRs 40 a-40 n and be federated by theCMDB 30. The data model that is employed by the CMDB (referred to hereinas the “CMDB-DM”) could be used as the data model for both local andfederated data. In instances where the remote data in the MDRs ismodeled differently than it is in existing CMDB-DM classes, it may betransformed to the CMDB-DM by defining new CMDB-DM classes and suitablymapping the remote data model to the CMDB-DM classes. The CMDB API wouldthus be able to work seamlessly across both local and federated data.

One example of a workflow that would engage the architecture of FIG. 2is described as follows. A user has some data residing in an MDR such asan ORACLE® database, say, Element 40 a, that is related to data in CMDB30. (ORACLE is a registered trademark of Oracle InternationalCorporation.) The user wants to federate to the data residing indatabase 40 a and be able interface with that data as if it were data inexisting classes residing in CMDB 30. For example, the user would liketo be able to retrieve data in the remote database 40 a and be able toquery the remote database 40 a as if it were part of the CMDB 30.

To achieve such a result in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention, the user could launch a CMDB Client application 26which would present him with a “Federation User Interface.” Thisapplication 26 could allow the user to select and/or create a newfederated data class that he wants to work with. At this point, if theuser selects to create a new federated data class, he would then need tospecify more information about the federated interface, i.e., where theexternal source data will be coming from and how the application willconnect to the external source. For example, the data may be federatedto via any type of data federation interface, such as the Java DatabaseConnectivity (JDBC) API, the Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) API, theCMDBf Standard, or any other suitable means.

Depending on the type of data federation, more interface connectioninformation will be gathered from the user that is related to the typeof federation interface selected. For example, a user may need tospecify: username, password, connection string, connection URL, etc. Afederated data class may then be created by the CMDB Client application26. The user may be asked to specify a new federated data class name, aswell as the attributes they want to have in this class by selectingfields from the MDR 40 a that he is attempting to federate to. Aso-called “key” attribute may also have to be specified. The key may beused to uniquely identify a record or as part of a join condition tolink between the remote class in the MDR 40 a and the existing CMDB-DMclasses residing in CMDB 30 that it is being related to.

A user can then create a federated data relationship class. In oneembodiment, the relationship class will define the “end point classes”of the defined relation. For example, a first object class could be aCMDB-DM class, such as “Computer System,” and a second object classcould be the newly created Federated data class representing a CI, suchas “Incident.” The user will also be able to specify a join condition,i.e., a qualification, which defines how the data in the CMDB-DM classwill be related to data in the federated data class. This join conditioncan be as complicated or as simple as is needed for the user to be ableto gain access to the desired information.

FIG. 3 shows one example of the creation of such a federated data class.In this example, the CMDB-DM class “Computer System” 46 already existsin the CMDB 30. It may include attributes such as: Name, SystemType, andNumberOfSlots. Federated data class “Incident” 43 may be created from CIdata residing in external MDR 40 a. In this example, the user hasselected that the join condition 48 will include instances where theComputer System class's “Name” attribute matches the Incident class's“Machine” attribute. Likewise, Federated data class “Comp Sys” 44 may becreated from CI data residing in external MDR 40 b. In this example, theuser has selected that his join condition 48 will include instanceswhere the Computer System class's “Name” attribute matches the federatedComp Sys class's “Name” attribute. As can be seen in FIG. 3, thecreation of the federated data classes allows the CMDB seamless accessto more data attributes associated with the “Computer A” CI than theCMDB would otherwise have access to via a standard CMDB interface.

At this point, the desired federated data and relationship classes havebeen defined. Referring back now to FIG. 2, the user can use CMDB Client26 to design queries and view desired data. CMDB Client 26 may issue APIcalls to seamlessly query 28 the federated data classes as though theyare native CMDB-DM classes. The CMDB Engine 34 may then issue thenecessary query calls 36, e.g., Query By Path (QBP) calls, which connectto external MDRs 40 via any one of various vendor plug-in interfaces 38.The QBP can then step through the federated relationship and federateddata classes, i.e., follow the defined path, access the data that theuser desires to see, and return it to the CMDB 30. The federated queryresult set 42 can then be provided to the CMDB Client Application 26'sUI to display both core and related data in a consistent fashion and toallow the user to take appropriate action. The UI should be flexibleenough to allow for the visualization of the federated instances and theconfiguration of various options for viewing the federated data. Thebi-directional arrows in FIG. 2 indicate that data may be sent in bothdirections over the link that is logically represented by thebi-directional arrow. The location of various elements inside otherelements is meant to imply a logical association only, and is in no wayintended to be construed as a limiting embodiment.

FIG. 4 shows an exemplary class diagram for carrying out one embodimentof the disclosed invention, including the federation related classes,relationships and their interactions. The boxes with thick rims are theCI classes 400, representing various services, hardware, software,buildings, people, etc. in the enterprise environment. The boxes withthin rims represent relationship classes 410 defining the connectionsbetween the various CI classes. The box labeled 420 represents theFederatedBaseElement and its potential subclasses. Subclasses will becreated when a user defines new federated data classes for federatingdata. The box labeled 430 represents the FederatedBaseRelationship andseveral sample derived classes. In this embodiment, the derivedrelationship classes will only be class definitions which hold the queryqualifier. Boxes with dashed lines represent abstract classes.

FIGS. 5A and 5B show exemplary use cases for QBPs federating remote MDRswith CMDB CIs. In order for QBP to work properly with federated dataclasses, one embodiment of the present invention allows for dynamicjoins to work against vendor MDRs. Before executing a QBP, the user mayneed to specify a federated data relationship class as the relationshipconnecting the CMDB-DM classes and federated data classes. For example,BaseElement->FederatedDataRelationship1->FederatedMDR1. During thequery, when the CMDB engine 34 processes a federated data relationshipclass, it may construct the join condition 48 between the CMDB-DM classand the Federated data class based on the specified join characteristicfor the federated relationship class. The federated query result set 42can return the results of dynamically linking to the MDRs based on thespecified join characteristic to the CMDB client application 26.

In the example of FIG. 5A, CMDB 30 possesses a core CMDB-DM classidentified as Computer Systems 52. Here, the class Computer Systems 52has a federated relationship 50 to various CI classes in Vendor CustomerAsset DB 54. For example, Vendor Customer Asset DB 54 may possessclasses such as Warranty Contracts, Hardware Details, and UpgradeOffers. Once the user has specified the federated relationship 50between the Computer System class 52 and the various Federated Dataclasses in Vendor Customer Asset DB 54, the user would be able to queryCMDB 30 with various complex queries that pull data from multipledisparate and remote data sources. For example, a user of the systemillustrated in 5A could query for Computer Systems with warrantiesexpiring in less than two months (via a join to the Warranty Contractsfederated class) that have recalled CPU units (via a join to theHardware Details federated class) on which the manufacturer is offeringa free upgrade (via the Upgrade Offers federated class). In this way,the user is able to seamlessly query and retrieve a result set frommultiple databases that may be provided by multiple vendors, havedifferent interfaces and/or data models, and be located in physicallydifferent locales.

FIG. 5B shows an exemplary use case for QBP federating remote MDRs withCMDB CIs, wherein the remote MDR classes themselves are related in somemanner. In this example, CMDB 30 possesses a core CMDB-DM classidentified as Business Services 56. Here, the Business Services 56 has afederated relationship 50 to one of the CI classes in the Service DeskDB 58, in this example, Incidents. Service Desk DB 58 may also possessother classes, such as Problems. Once the user has specified thefederated relationship 50 between the Business Services class 56 and theIncident class in Service Desk DB 58, as well as the federatedrelationships 52 between the federated classes in Service Desk DB 58themselves, i.e., Incidents and Problems in this example, the user wouldbe able to query CMDB 30 with various complex queries that pull datafrom multiple disparate and remote data sources or MDRs. For example, auser of the system illustrated in 5B could query for Business Servicesaffected by Incidents (via a join to the Incidents federated class) thatare of a Mechanical Failure (via the federated relationship between theIncidents federated class and the Problems federated class). In thisexample, the Business Service is only directly tied to the Incident, notto information regarding the specific type of Incident (here, a“Problem”) associated with the Business Service.

FIG. 6 shows, in flowchart form, an example of a federated query inaccordance with one embodiment of the invention. First, the userspecifies the mechanism to retrieve remote data (e.g., use web services,JDBC, etc.) (Step 350). Next, the user defines the necessary federatedclass(es) to model the remote data (Step 360). Next, the user may defineassociations between the federated classes and the CIs in the CMDB (Step370). The CIs in the CMDB may be pre-existing or newly created. Once thedesired associations have been established, the user may seamlesslyquery data from both the core CMDB and other remote data repositoriesvia the CMDB's API and data model (Step 380). Finally, the user isprovided with a mechanism to display both core and related data in a UIin a consistent fashion. It is to be understood that the order of thesteps as illustrated in FIG. 6 is merely exemplary and that, in someinstances, these steps may be performed in a different order, inaddition to other steps, concurrently, or not at all.

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary enterprise computing environment whereinone embodiment of the present invention may be installed. The CMDB 30may be installed and running on any one or more of the computingendpoints in communication with the network shown in FIG. 7. As shown,the enterprise computing environment may include one or more computers,e.g., mainframe computers 102, which each include one or more storagedevices 104, also referred to as direct access storage devices (DASD). Aplurality of computer systems or terminals 112 may be coupled to themainframe computer 102, wherein the computer systems or terminals 112access data stored in the storage devices 104 coupled to or part of themainframe computer 102.

The mainframe computer system 102 may be coupled to one or more othercomputer systems and/or computer networks, including other mainframecomputer systems. The mainframe computer system 102 may be coupledlocally to a computer system network 120 in a local area network (LAN)configuration, or may be coupled to one or more computer systems and/ornetworks through a wide area network (WAN). As shown in FIG. 7, themainframe computer system 102 may be directly coupled to a local areanetwork 120, such as a PC-based or client/server based network. The LAN120 may comprise a storage device or file server 104 coupled to one ormore desktop computer systems 114, one or more portable computer systems116 and possibly one or more computer systems or terminals 112. As alsoshown in FIG. 7, the mainframe computer 102 may also be coupled througha wide area network, represented by the “cloud” that is labeled“Network” in FIG. 7, to one or more additional local area networks, suchas PC-based networks as shown. Each of the PC based networks maycomprise one or more storage devices or file servers 104 and one or moreof either desktop computer systems 114 or portable computer systems 116.The wide area network may be any of various types, such as the Internet.

Each of the one or more mainframe computer systems 102, the computersystems 114 and 116, as well as file servers 104 may include variouscomponents as is standard in computer systems. For example, themainframe computer system 102 may include one or more processors orCPUs, preferably multiple CPUs, as well as non-volatile memory, such asrepresented by elements 104, and various internal buses etc. as is wellknown in the art, as well as a display device. In a similar manner, eachof the desktop computer systems 114 and/or portable computer systems116, or other computer systems comprised in the enterprise, comprisevarious standard computer components including one or more CPUs, one ormore buses, memory, a power supply, non-volatile memory, and a display,such as a video monitor or LCD display. The computer systems orterminals 112 may comprise standard “dumb” terminals as used withmainframes, i.e., may comprise a display and video hardware and/ormemory for displaying data on the display provided from the mainframecomputer system 102.

The mainframe computer system 102 may store a database comprising datawhich is desired to be accessible among a portion or all of theenterprise, e.g., is desired to be accessible by one or more of thecomputer systems 114 and 116. The database stored in the mainframecomputer system 102 may be distributed among one or more of the variousfile servers 104 connected to the various computer systems 114 and 116.Thus, it is desired that the data comprising the database be distributedamong the enterprise for ready access among multiple users. It is alsopossible that multiple different database management systems are usedwithin the enterprise, e.g., one or more of the file servers 104 maystore its own database which is desired to be replicated among variousof the other file servers and/or the mainframe computer system 102.

One or more of the computer systems 102, 112, 114, and 116 preferablyinclude a memory medium on which computer programs according to theinvention may be stored. In addition, the memory medium may be locatedin a first computer in which the programs are executed, or may belocated in a second different computer which connects to the firstcomputer over a network. In the latter instance, the second computerprovides the program instructions to the first computer for execution.Also, the computer systems 102/104, 112, 114, and 116 may take variousforms, including a personal computer system, mainframe computer system,workstation, network appliance, Internet appliance, personal digitalassistant (PDA), television system or other device. In general, the term“computer system” can be broadly defined to encompass any device havinga processor which executes instructions from a memory medium.

The memory medium preferably stores a software utility program orprograms for graphically displaying database record organizationcharacteristics as described herein. The software program(s) may beimplemented in any of various ways, including procedure-basedtechniques, component-based techniques, and/or object-orientedtechniques, among others. For example, the software program may beimplemented using ActiveX® controls, C++ objects, Java® objects,Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC), or other technologies ormethodologies, as desired. (ACTIVEX is a registered trademark of theMicrosoft Corporation. JAVA is a registered trademark of SunMicrosystems, Inc.) A computer system executing code and data from amemory medium comprises a means for graphically displaying databaserecord organization according to the methods and/or block diagramsdescribed herein.

Various embodiments further include receiving or storing instructionsand/or data implemented in accordance with the foregoing descriptionupon a carrier medium. Suitable carrier media include a memory medium asdescribed below, as well as signals such as electrical, electromagnetic,or digital signals, conveyed via a communication medium such as networks102 and/or 104 and/or a wireless link.

Referring now to FIG. 8, an exemplary computer system 600 is shown. Oneor more exemplary computer systems 600 may be included in a mainframecomputer (e.g., Element 102 in FIG. 7). Exemplary computer system 600may comprise a programmable control device 610 which may be optionallyconnected to input 660 (e.g., a keyboard, mouse, touch screen, etc.),display 670 or program storage device (PSD) 680 (sometimes referred toas direct access storage device DASD). Also, included with programdevice 610 is a network interface 640 for communication via a networkwith other computing and corporate infrastructure devices (See FIG. 7).Note that network interface 640 may be included within programmablecontrol device 610 or be external to programmable control device 610. Ineither case, programmable control device 610 will be communicativelycoupled to network interface 640. Also note that program storage unit680 represents any form of non-volatile storage including, but notlimited to, all forms of optical and magnetic storage elements includingsolid-state storage.

Program control device 610 may be included in a computer system and beprogrammed to perform methods in accordance with this disclosure.Program control device 610 comprises a processor unit (PU) 620,input-output (I/O) interface 650 and memory 630. Processing unit 620 mayinclude any programmable controller device including, for example,processors of an IBM mainframe (such as a quad-core z10 mainframemicroprocessor). Alternatively, in non mainframe systems, examples ofprocessing unit 620 include the Intel Core®, Pentium® and Celeron®processor families from Intel and the Cortex and ARM processor familiesfrom ARM. (INTEL CORE, PENTIUM and CELERON are registered trademarks ofthe Intel Corporation. CORTEX is a registered trademark of the ARMLimited Corporation. ARM is a registered trademark of the ARM LimitedCompany.) Memory 630 may include one or more memory modules and compriserandom access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), programmable readonly memory (PROM), programmable read-write memory, and solid statememory. One of ordinary skill in the art will also recognize that PU 620may also include some internal memory including, for example, cachememory.

In the above detailed description, various features are occasionallygrouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamliningthe disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted asreflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments of the subjectmatter require more features than are expressly recited in each claim.

Various changes in the details of the illustrated operational methodsare possible without departing from the scope of the following claims.For instance, illustrative flow chart steps or process steps of FIG. 6may perform the identified steps in an order different from thatdisclosed here. Alternatively, some embodiments may combine theactivities described herein as being separate steps. Similarly, one ormore of the described steps may be omitted, depending upon the specificoperational environment the method is being implemented in. In addition,acts in accordance with FIG. 6 may be performed by an exemplary computersystem 600 comprising a single computer processor, a special purposeprocessor (e.g., a digital signal processor, “DSP”), a plurality ofprocessors coupled by a communications link or a custom designed statemachine, or other device capable of executing instructions organizedinto one or more program modules. Custom designed state machines may beembodied in a hardware device such as an integrated circuit including,but not limited to, application specific integrated circuits (“ASICs”)or field programmable gate array (“FPGAs”).

Storage devices, sometimes called “memory medium” or “computer useablemedium,” are suitable for tangibly embodying program instructions andmay include, but are not limited to: magnetic disks (fixed, floppy, andremovable) and tape; optical media such as CD-ROMs and digital videodisks (“DVDs”); and semiconductor memory devices such as ElectricallyProgrammable Read-Only Memory (“EPROM”), Electrically ErasableProgrammable Read-Only Memory (“EEPROM”), Programmable Gate Arrays andflash devices. However, those of ordinary skill in the art willrecognize that information may also be maintained as structured text,binary object data (e.g., binary data structures), HTML, XML or otherforms of storing data.

It is to be understood that the above description is intended to beillustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above-describedembodiments may be used in combination with each other. Many otherembodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewingthe above description. The scope of the invention should, therefore, bedetermined with reference to the appended claims, along with the fullscope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

1. A computer processor programmed to perform a data federation methodfor a Configuration Management Database (CMDB), the method comprising:receiving information from a CMDB client, the information comprising: aselection of a federated data class, interface connection informationfor one or more Management Data Repositories (MDRs) that containinformation associated with the federated data class, wherein theinterface connection information comprises information that is used bythe CMDB to connect to the one or more MDRs, and a selection of one ormore join conditions, wherein the one or more selected join conditionsare used to relate the federated data class to one or more classesresiding in the CMDB; defining a new federated data class using the oneor more join conditions; sending a query to the one or more MDRs basedon the new federated data class; receiving a query result set; andproviding at least a portion of the query result set to the CMDB client.2. The processor of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmedto: store attributes related to the new federated data class in a memorymedium.
 3. The processor of claim 2, wherein the stored attributescomprise at least one of the following: a federated data class name andone or more attributes corresponding to one or more attributes from anMDR.
 4. The processor of claim 1, wherein the processor is furtherprogrammed to: receive one or more attributes from the one or more MDRs,wherein the one or more selected join conditions involve one or more ofthe received attributes.
 5. The processor of claim 1, wherein theprogram to perform the act of querying one or more MDRs uses Query ByPath (QBP).
 6. The processor of claim 1, wherein the program to performthe act of querying one or more MDRs comprises using a plug-in tointerface with the one or more MDRs.
 7. The processor of claim 1,wherein the program to perform the act of querying is specified by anadministrator, an end user, or another computer system.
 8. The processorof claim 1, wherein one or more of the method steps the processor isprogrammed to perform occur via an administrator or an end user using auser interface.
 9. A non-transitory computer usable medium havingcomputer readable program code embodied therein, wherein the computerreadable program code is adapted to be executed to: receive informationfrom a configuration management database (CMDB) client, the informationcomprising: a selection of a federated data class, interface connectioninformation for one or more Management Data Repositories (MDRs) thatcontain information associated with the federated data class, whereinthe interface connection information comprises information that is usedby a CMDB to connect to the one or more MDRs, and a selection of one ormore join conditions, wherein the one or more selected join conditionsare used to relate the federated data class to one or more classesresiding in the CMDB; define a new federated data class using the one ormore join conditions; send a query to the one or more MDRs based on thenew federated data class; receive a query result set; and provide atleast a portion of the query result set to the CMDB client.
 10. Thenon-transitory computer usable medium of claim 9, wherein the computerreadable program code is further adapted to be executed to: storeattributes related to the new federated data class in a memory medium.11. The non-transitory computer usable medium of claim 10, wherein thestored attributes comprise at least one of the following: a federateddata class name and one or more attributes corresponding to one or moreattributes from an MDR.
 12. The non-transitory computer usable medium ofclaim 9, wherein the computer readable program code is further adaptedto be executed to: receive one or more attributes from the one or moreMDRs, wherein the one or more selected join conditions involve one ormore of the received attributes.
 13. The non-transitory computer usablemedium of claim 9, wherein the program code to perform the act ofquerying one or more MDRs comprises a Query By Path (QBP).
 14. Thenon-transitory computer usable medium of claim 9, wherein the programcode to perform the act of querying one or more MDRs comprises using aplug-in to interface with the one or more MDRs.
 15. A computer networkexecuting a data federation method for a configuration managementdatabase (CMDB), the computer network comprising: one or morenon-volatile storage devices for maintaining enterprise configurationmanagement information; one or more computer systems communicativelycoupled to the network, at least one of the one or more computer systemsprogrammed to perform at least a portion of the method the computerprocessor of claim 1 is programmed to perform, wherein the entire methodthe computer processor of claim 1 is programmed to perform is performedcollectively by the one or more computer systems communicatively coupledto the network.
 16. The computer network of claim 15, furthercomprising: a plurality of management data repositories (MDRs); and aplurality of plug-in interfaces, wherein each of the plurality of MDRsis associated with one or more plug-in interfaces, and wherein theplurality of plug-in interfaces are configured to interface with theCMDB.
 17. The computer network of claim 15, wherein the plurality ofMDRs exist on a single computer.
 18. The computer network of claim 15,wherein the plurality of MDRs do not all exist on a single computer. 19.The computer network of claim 15, further comprising a clientapplication, wherein the client application is configured to query theCMDB.
 20. The computer network of claim 19, wherein the clientapplication comprises a user interface.